It Takes A Witch

Series:  A Wishcraft Mystery #1

By:  Heather Blake

ISBN:  0451235525 (ISBN13: 9780451235527)

Author’s Website: http://www.heatherblakebooks.com

Review brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

 

 

Synopsis:

Darcy Merriweather and her sister, Harper, hail from a long line of witches who have the power to grant wishes using spells. They’ve come to Enchanted Village in Salem, Massachusetts, to join the family business, but they soon find themselves knee deep in murder…

 

Until three weeks ago, Darcy and Harper were working dead-end jobs and trying to put their troubles behind them. Then their aunt Velma delivered a bombshell: They’re actually Wishcrafters – witches with the power to grant wishes with a mere spell. Wanting a fresh start, they head to their aunt’s magic-themed tourist town to master their newfound skills.

 

But their magic fails them when a wannabe witch turns up dead – strangled with Aunt Ve’s scarf – and Ve’s sweetheart, Sylar, is found looming over the body. Ve is standing by her man, but Darcy overheard Skylar wish that the victim would disappear – forever. With Harper distracted by her handsome new crush, Darcy is determined to sleuth her way to the truth. But it’ll take more than a wish to unravel this mystery….

 

Review:

Truly loving this “new to me” series . This book is all that a cozy mystery should be.  Murder (of course) but more importantly; interesting with engaging characters that kept my interest and personal “whodunnit skills” active throughout!  Not only is there a murder to solve….there is also a pick pocket in town…and that mystery must be solved before visitors get the idea that the Enchanted Village, a unique Salem, Massachusetts neighborhood was not a safe hamlet to visit.

 

I love the opening scene…Darcy dressed as the “Tooth Fairy” as part of a job for As You Wish (Darcy’s aunt Ve’s business), slipping into Laurel Grace’s room.  I could so visualize the outfit… it had me giggling and remembering all the silly stuff we do for our children to keep the magic going.  I also got quite the chuckle with store names in the town:  Furry Toadstool, Spellbound Bookshop, All that Glitters or Pixie Cottage.  The sense of humour was also very akin to my tastes – for example:

 

“A new witch in town doesn’t go unnotice in these parts.  And two new witches? Rumors were flying faster than some broomsticks.”

 

Darcy and Harper are quite the sister combo.  Darcy is forever looking out for Harper, being the big sister and all.  They have had losses recently and have stuck together through thick and thin. Especially now that they have learned of their “witch” heritage and their specialized talent of “Wish” crafting.

 

Once  Darcy was off the phone with Cherise Goodwin about a repeat “Tooth Fairy” gig, she noted Ve had come in and was speaking to someone…but who since it only seemed like Missy (the dog) and Tilda (the cat) were in the house with Darcy and Ve. This particular mystery was not solved until the very end…and caught me off guard!  To carry on with animals in the town….Archie, the macaw, was quite a character…or should I say liked to play characters.  Loved it when he started yelling “Stelllaaaaaaa!  Stellllaaaaa!”  Obviously Archie’s human, Mr. Goodwin has watched A Streetcar Named Desire in front of Archie.

 

Lest we forget an important component….the hunk factor…Nick is all that and more :

 

“While running into the handsome Nick Sawyer, Darcy was thinking ‘I fought the urge to hide my flaccid arms, and instead focused on keeping Missy from jumping all over him.  I could completely understand why she wanted to, but it just wasn’t polite.’

‘She’s all right,’ Nick said, squatting so Missy could have free access.

Lucky dog.

No. I gave myself a hard mental shake. No, no, no. He was just eye candy, and if my father, a dentist, had instilled in me one lesson, it was that sugar was bad for me. Very, very bad.”

 

There is definite interest there which grows throughout the story. I was very moved emotionally when Darcy was telling (for the first time since the event occurred) the story of the day Harper was born to Nick.  This definetely showed the potential depth of where their relationship could go. Cannot wait to see where Nick and Darcy go in the next book.

 

This delightful story contains many sub stories which delighted this reader to no end.  As expected, Darcy puts her amateur sluething and ‘witchy’ skills to use to eventually solve the murder as well as whom the pickpocket is.  There is mystery in the Enchanted Village – like who is a witch and who isn’t or what and/or who is a familiar to whom?   I do hope these questions in additon to any further murders will be answered in the next installment of the Wishcraft Mystery series.